Open Data Insight of the Day

Nestled in the Bezirk Laufen, the municipality of Nenzlingen sits at an elevation of 458 meters above sea level and covers a total area of 366 hectares. Table 2 summarizes the key features of the municipality, and figure 1 shows its location on the map.

The history of Nenzlingen is deeply rooted in the landscape. According to Wikipedia, Nenzlingen is a municipality situated on the southern slope of the Blauen mountain near the Birs River. The area has been inhabited since ancient times, with evidence of human presence dating back to the Mesolithic period, including the discovery of a grave in 1944 that contained the oldest female skeleton found in Switzerland. The historically significant Blatten Pass, which connects the Birstal and Laufental valleys, was used by both the Celts and Romans. More details can be found on its Wikipedia page: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nenzlingen.

As of 2024, Nenzlingen is home to 475 residents, ranking it 74th in population size within the canton. The community consists of 81.9% Swiss citizens and 18.1% foreign nationals. The population structure shows 13.9% are children and young people aged 0-17, 65.7% are of working age (18-65), and 20.4% are older adults over 65. The gender ratio is nearly balanced, with 242 men and 233 women. Table 2 shows the population by age groups since 2005.

The land use in Nenzlingen reflects its rural character. Of its 366-hectare surface, only 7.3% is designated as settlement area. The landscape is dominated by agriculture, which occupies 41.3% of the land, and forest, which covers 50.3%. The remaining 1.1% is unproductive surface.

Financially, Nenzlingen's tax revenue ranks 73rd in the canton. While the specific municipal tax multiplier and its rank are not provided in the data, the overall tax revenue figure indicates a smaller fiscal base compared to many other municipalities in Basel-Landschaft.

In terms of energy consumption in 2022, the municipality used a mix of sources. Heating oil was the largest carrier at 1,934 MWh, followed by electricity at 1,773 MWh. Renewable and local sources also played a significant role, with environmental heat (heat pumps) at 997 MWh, wood at 628 MWh, photovoltaics at 202 MWh, and thermal solar energy at 40 MWh. Electricity is a good energy carrier for comparison, as it is used in all communities. With a per capita consumption of 3.7 MWh, Nenzlingen ranks 42nd in the canton, placing it solidly in the middle and not in the top or bottom 10. Very low or very high per capita consumption can often be influenced by the presence or absence of industrial activity.

The vehicle stock in Nenzlingen, as of 2026, consists of 369 passenger cars and delivery vans. Of these, 326 vehicles run on petrol, diesel, or other combustion engines, while 43 are fully electric. This means 11.7% of the local vehicle fleet is electric, a notable share that reflects a growing trend. Refer to table 3 for details.

Nenzlingen demonstrates a strong commitment to waste recycling, particularly in one category. Data from 2024 shows that residents recycled 218 kg of green waste per capita, ranking the municipality 3rd highest in the canton for this category. For other materials, the per capita recycling figures and ranks are: glass at 22 kg (rank 46), household and bulky waste at 144 kg (rank 29), paper and cardboard at 11 kg (rank 74), other metals at 3 kg (rank 24), and tinplate and aluminum at 2 kg (rank 16). With its top-3 ranking in green waste recycling, Nenzlingen is overall among the leading municipalities in recycling performance. Refer to Table 4 for total recycled waste, recycled waste per capita, and canton-wide comparison values.